Cate: Hi
Jen! Welcome to the party. :) What do
you love most about Halloween?
Jen: I
love that everyone gets a chance to be their hero for a day, or just play
dress-up.
Cate: Do you have a favorite memory of a Halloween
past?
Jen: I
wasn't allowed to trick-or-treat as a child, but my kids go. Last year my
little boy, dressed as Batman, was beside himself to have met Spiderman in the
middle of the street. For days he told us how Spiderman went into the church to
get a cookie.
Cate: Too funny! Have you ever had an unusual experience you
couldn’t explain?
Jen: Yes!
I worked at a video store that stayed open until midnight, and late at night we
could hear what sounded like giggling children running across the ceiling.
Later I found out the store had been built over hospital grounds. Eek!
Cate: Yikes! That's spooky. What frightens you the most?
Jen: Something
reaching out from under my bed and grabbing my foot. I literally leaped into
bed until I was about 16, when I got a dog who liked to sleep under the bed.
Dusty, my monster fighting hero!
Cate: Ever gone on a ghost tour? Or ghost hunting on
your own?
Jen: Nope,
won't do it. I'd start leaping into bed again!
Cate: lol Any favorite Halloween recipes you'd care to share?
Jen:
Mississippi
Mud
1 – 16 oz
pkg Oreo cookies
1 – 12 oz
Cool Whip
½ cup
butter or margarine
1 large
instant chocolate pudding
1 – 8 oz
pkg cream cheese
2 and 2/3
cup milk
1 cup
sugar
Crush
cookies in blender; reserve 1/8 cup crumbs. Melt butter; pour over cookie
crumbs. Mix well. Press into bottom of 9x13 inch pan. Chill.
Whip
cream cheese and sugar until creamy; fold in ½ Cool Whip. Spread over crust.
Chill.
Prepare
pudding with milk. Spread over cream cheese. Chill until firm, then spread with
remaining Cool Whip and sprinkle with remaining cooking crumbs.
Halloween
version...Add gummy worms or other spooky treats on top.
Cate: Yum! Tell us about your latest release, and
where readers can find it online.
Jen: In the Dark brings you into an underground
world of vampires when Soren rescues, then kidnaps the lost human, Faith.
Cate: Love, love, love that cover! Care to share a blurb or excerpt?
Jen: Soren and Faith must find a way to survive the evil and
darkness.
Faith’s spur of the moment vacation, meant to free her and boost her
spirits, has left her lost on the streets of Paris. And apparently, Paris is
populated with something more than just humans. Vampires, suave, seductive and
oh so sexy, and one such warrior vampire has set his sights on her.
When Soren hears Faith’s terrified screams, he rushes in and saves her life
without considering the consequences. Two problems: one, she’s a human and
clearly aware of his vampire qualities, and two, the men who attacked her were
not men at all, but demons. Their target, his beloved underground city of
Balinese. He can never let Faith go home again, but can she learn to love his
people...love him?
Cate: What inspired you to write about the theme?
Jen: I
love this question. My unique take on vampires living in underground cities
scattered throughout France came about in a rather strange way. I intended to
write about a pirate. You heard me right, a pirate. I had this hot picture of a
man in black slacks, an unbuttoned white shirt, and long black hair that
disappeared behind his back. After staring at his picture for over a week (such
a hardship), I had nothing. Not a name, title, plot, or even a heroine. Just
him. Why could I picture him speaking, moving, and wielding a sword, but could
never place him on a ship? Then it hit me. He wasn’t a pirate, he was a
vampire. Looking at him in this new light…er, moonlight, all the answers fell
into place. Long story short, there are now four vampire cities in France, and
over ten books planned for the series, The Cities Below. The pirate turned
vampire is the hero in book three, and you’ll explore a new city with entirely
different dynamics in book two. The first book, In the Dark , brings a human
into the vampire’s secluded underground city, introducing you to their culture
and laws through her.
Cate: Anything else you’d like to share?
Jen: I'm
a total geek for my sci fi. Star Wars, Dr Who, Firefly, and I'm really liking
The 100 so far.
Cate: Jen
has a giveaway! Be sure to leave your
email address in your comment. :)
Jen: An ebook. I have epub and adobe files.
Cate:
Thanks for joining in the Halloween party, Jen! Have a fun time with your kids!
